founder¹

[foun-der]

See more synonyms for founder on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who founds or establishes.

Origin of founder¹

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at found², -er¹

founder²

[foun-der]

verb (used without object)

(of a ship, boat, etc.) to fill with water and sink.
to fall or sink down, as buildings, ground, etc.: Built on a former lake bed, the building has foundered nearly ten feet.
to become wrecked; fail utterly: The project foundered because public support was lacking.
to stumble, break down, or go lame, as a horse: His mount foundered on the rocky path.
to become ill from overeating.
Veterinary Pathology. (of a horse) to suffer from laminitis.

verb (used with object)

to cause to fill with water and sink: Rough seas had foundered the ship in mid-ocean.
Veterinary Pathology. to cause (a horse) to break down, go lame, or suffer from laminitis.

noun

Veterinary Pathology. laminitis.

Origin of founder²

1300–50; Middle English foundren < Middle French fondrer to plunge to the bottom, submerge < Vulgar Latin *fundorāre, derivative of *fundor-, taken as stem of Latin fundus bottom

Related formsun·foun·dered, adjectiveun·foun·der·ing, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

3. collapse, perish, succumb, topple, sink; flop.

founder³

[foun-der]

noun

a person who founds or casts metal, glass, etc.

Origin of founder³

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at found³, -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for founder

Contemporary Examples

Since then, the app has gained over 165,000 users in more than 70 countries, according to its founder.
My Week on Jewish Tinder
Emily Shire
January 5, 2015
Check out a clip from this exclusive interview with SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace at the 2014 Savannah Film Festival.
Who Is Joe Manganiello? Sofia Vergara’s Fiancé on the Value of Hard Work
The Daily Beast Video
December 29, 2014
Fulkerson, the founder of the magazine who has hired March, is someone he can cope with.
The Novel That Foretold the TNR Meltdown
Nicolaus Mills
December 22, 2014
The founder of Pan Am, Juan Trippe, knew how business was done in the Caribbean.
Goodbye, Bahamas. Hello, Havana!
Clive Irving
December 18, 2014
Tom Angell, founder of nonprofit Marijuana Majority, says the whole thing is a bit odd.
Tribes to U.S. Government: Take Your Weed and Shove It
Abby Haglage
December 13, 2014

Historical Examples

He was the founder of our family--though, of course, he oughtn't to have been.
Viviette
William J. Locke
If we leave her alone, mayhap she will founder, and then how will the women be saved?
Fair Margaret
H. Rider Haggard
When vessels are about to founder, the rats are said to leave 'em.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens
The sons of the founder were, like their father, distinguished for their mechanical ability.
Self-Help
Samuel Smiles
Filled with the idea that the ship was about to founder, Madden stared about.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling

British Dictionary definitions for founder

founder¹

noun

a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc

Word Origin

C14: see found ²

founder²

verb (intr)

(of a ship) to sink
to break down or failthe project foundered
to sink into or become stuck in soft ground
to fall in or give way; collapse
(of a horse) to stumble or go lame
archaic (of animals, esp livestock) to become ill from overeating

noun

vet science another name for laminitis

Word Origin

C13: from Old French fondrer to submerge, from Latin fundus bottom; see found ²

usage

Founder is sometimes wrongly used where flounder is meant: this unexpected turn of events left him floundering (not foundering)

founder³

noun

1. a person who makes metal castings
2. (in combination)an iron founder

Word Origin

C15: see found ³

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for founder

v.

early 14c., from Old French fondrer "collapse; submerge, sink, fall to the bottom," from fond "bottom," from Latin fundus "bottom, foundation" (see fund (n.)). Related: Foundered; foundering.

n.1

"one who establishes, one who sets up or institutes something," mid-14c., from Anglo-French fundur, Old French fondeor, from Latin fundator, agent noun from fundare (see found (v.1)).

n.2

"one who casts metal," c.1400, agent noun from found (v.2).

founder in Medicine

founder

(foun′dər)

To stumble, especially to stumble and go lame. Used of horses.
To become ill from overeating. Used of livestock.
To be afflicted with laminitis. Used of horses.

laminitis

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founder2

Origin of founder2

Synonyms

founder3

Origin of founder3

Related Words

Examples from the Web for founder

Contemporary Examples

Since then, the app has gained over 165,000 users in more than 70 countries, according to its founder.

Check out a clip from this exclusive interview with SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace at the 2014 Savannah Film Festival.

Fulkerson, the founder of the magazine who has hired March, is someone he can cope with.

The founder of Pan Am, Juan Trippe, knew how business was done in the Caribbean.

Tom Angell, founder of nonprofit Marijuana Majority, says the whole thing is a bit odd.

Historical Examples

He was the founder of our family--though, of course, he oughtn't to have been.

If we leave her alone, mayhap she will founder, and then how will the women be saved?

When vessels are about to founder, the rats are said to leave 'em.

The sons of the founder were, like their father, distinguished for their mechanical ability.

Filled with the idea that the ship was about to founder, Madden stared about.

founder1

Word Origin

founder2

Word Origin

usage

founder3

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for founder

v.

n.1

n.2

founder

founder¹

Origin of founder¹

founder²

Origin of founder²

founder³

Origin of founder³

founder¹

founder²

founder³